Sunday, July 29, 2012

Box won the 20 Edgar Award for his novel Blue Heaven. Open Season was Box's debut novel. Its protagonist is Joe Pickett, a game warden in Wyoming.

It is not just an exceptional first novel. It's a great thriller.

"Open season explores an honorable man's love of family and the unflinching measures such a man is willing to take to protect them. Riveting suspense mingles with flashes of cynical back-county humor . . . " -- Margaret Maron

I skipped the London Olympics opening ceremony to savor this 2011 Edgar Award nominee.

My wife DVR'd the ceremony and I was able to thoroughly enjoy an excellent read. After the ceremony, she showed me the highlights. I really enjoyed the Chariots of Fire segment. And the cauldron was cool.

I've commented before about being amazed at the twists and turns in a Coben plot. He must outline. These twisty plots couldn't come from "pantsing".

I can imagine Coben sitting down and outlining a simple suspense plot. Then, saying to himself 'now how can I hide that'. It's wonderful in the truest sense. As in I wonder how he does it so well.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The inside book jacket for Ace Atkin's The Lost Ones contained this review quote by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Greg Iles' Penn Cage will find a kindred spirit in U.S. Army Ranger Quinn Colson."

I love Reacher and Quinn Colson is a wonderful new discovery for me. I didn't know anything about Penn Cage. So I marched down to my Gulf Shores library and checked out The Quiet Game. If you haven't read it. Do.

The story is set in Natchez, Mississippi, a wonderfully Southern town. I've been to Natchez several times and toured antebellum mansions and enjoyed it's hospitality.

One of the things that constantly amazes me is the number of excellent writers who are waiting for me to discover them. Greg Iles is a New York Times bestselling author and I had never heard of him. Now I have and I'm going to be reading more of his books. He's great.

Friday, July 20, 2012

I enjoyed his first Quinn Colson novel, The Ranger, so much I couldn't wait to read The Lost Ones.

Atkins' fictional Tibbehah County, Mississippi setting is so very much like the North Louisiana and Alabama counties where I've lived. Pine forests, and farms. Populated with the same good ole boys I've known for so long. Seems like home.

And I loved the subtle humor and home spun wisdom in this story. Sounded like home too.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

This was the 14th Jack Reacher novel and the 14th Lee Child novel I've read. You know from previous posts that I am a huge Jack Reacher fan. This is one of his best. It received the Steel Dagger Award and NPR listeners rated it #54 in their list of Top 100 Killer Thrillers.

When studying how to increase tension in a thriller, one of the often praised but seldom actually seen methods is the ticking clock. 61 Hours is all about the clock. As the 61 hours count down, the reader never knows what is going to happen at the 61 hour mark. Most chapters end with a reference to how many hours are left. And each time you can feel the tension ratchet up a little more. You want to know what is going to happen at the 61 hour mark.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Today I finished reading God Save the Mark, A Novel of Crime and Confusion by Donald E. Westlake.

God Save the Mark won the 1968 Edgar Award for best novel. And I read it as a part of my effort to read all of the Edgar Award winning novels.

This edition was the first of three per year reprints per year of out of print Edgar Award winning novels undertaken by Otto Penzler, proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop. In the introduction to God Save the Mark, Mr. Penzler describes the comic nature of Westlake's stories. It's a good story but I think the definition of humor must have changed since 1968 or else I'm having another grumpy day.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Ms. Hayder is a British author and sometimes the British police nomenclature threw me. But once I got to the Hook I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed being reeled in. It is a wonderful read with enough twists and turns to turn me green with envy.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

A few years back I ran across a magazine article listing 100 things you should do before you die. Some I've done like drive a pick up truck. Some I haven't like playing cards with someone named Doc. The list needed to include reading a book by someone named Ace. 'Cause Ace Atkins is 'the bomb.'

I discovered Ace Atkins when The Ranger was nominated for the 2012 Edgar Award. While Ace didn't win, he certainly deserved the nomination.

Ace Atkins has been chosen by the Parker family to continue Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. And after reading The Ranger I can understand why. He is an outstanding writer. This was my first Ace Atkins novel but I can tell you for sure it won't be my last.